1. Field
The disclosure relates generally to data processing systems, such as computer systems and networks, and more specifically to management of storage devices, including managing the distribution of work among storage devices that are available to the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A computer system includes various components. The various components of the computer system perform various different functions. For example, a computer system may be a computer network. Components of the computer network may include, for example, processors, storage devices, and other components. The components of the computer system communicate with each other via the computer network.
Effective operation of a computer system, such as a computer network, requires effective management of the various system components. For example, effective operation of a computer network requires effective management of network storage devices. Effective management of network storage devices includes effectively distributing work among the storage devices that are available to the network.
Storage Management Initiative—Specification (SMI-S) is a storage standard developed and maintained by the Storage Network Industry Association (SNIA). The main objective of SMI-S is to enable broad interoperability among heterogeneous storage vendor systems. SMI-S defines management profiles for storage systems. A profile describes the behavioral aspects of an autonomous, self-contained management domain. SMI-S includes profiles for arrays, switches, storage virtualizer, volume management, and many other domains.
An SMI-S storage provider is a software component that is used so that independent management software can manage a storage device using a standard interface. For example, the standard interface may be based on the Common Information Model (CIM) protocol. The Common Information Model is an open standard that defines how managed elements in an information technology environment are represented as a common set of objects and relationships between them. The Common Information Model is intended to allow consistent management of managed elements, independent of their manufacturer or provider.
In general, storage providers must be installed and configured before independent management software can manage certain storage devices. The storage provider can be installed on the same system that the management software is running on or on a remote system. In some solutions the management software is used in an embedded fashion to manage storage devices. Some systems have a dedicated management server. In such systems all of the management components, including the system management software and the storage provider, run on the dedicated management server. An example of such a system is the IBM Smart Analytic Systems by International Business Machines Corporation. System management software in this system is known as the IBM Systems Director.